Automatic switch.



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21,1909. S-SHEBT 1.

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AUTOMATIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED Dnc. 30.1908.

Patented Dec. 21, 1909.

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UNITED STATES 'ENT FFIFQF.

JAMES W. THOMPSON, OF MONROE, LOUISIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO GUYP. STBBS, OF MONROE, LOUISIANA.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH.

Application filed December 39, 1908.

T o all whom 'it may concern:

lle it known that I, .urns lV. THOMPSON, citizen ot the United States,residing at h'ionroe, in the county oi Ouachita and State or' Louisiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Switches,ot' which 'the following is a specification'.

` ri`he present invention provides novel means tor operating theswitches of railways, heilig' particularly adapted for street cartratlic, whereby the person operating the car may throw the switch inthe desired direction to meet existing requirements.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof andalso to acquire a knowledge ot the details ot' construction and themeans for eecting the result, reference is to be had to thefollowingdescription and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front view of the lower portion ot' a car showing theapplication of the invention, the track being in section; Fig. 2 is atop plan view et the switch indicating in a general way the position ofthe switch operating means; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a modification;Fig. a is a detail view of a portion ot the trame showing the manner otconnecting the cross bar thereto; Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1 ofa modification; Fig. t3 is a top plan view of the moditication; and Fig.7 is a perspective view showing the lower portion of the trip bar inposition in a groove of the modified form ot cani.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

rlhe movable part of the switch is provided with a cam 1 which may be ofany forni and construction, so as to cope vlate with actuating meansmounted upon the car to admit ot the operator throwing the switch in thedesired direction. Fig. 2 illustrates the cam 1 applied to the switchpoints or" what is known as a split switch, a cross bar 2 connecting theswitch points to cause them to move in unison. In Fig. 3' an arm 3 isillustrated as connecting thecam 1 to the movable tongue, a brace 4Lstrengthening said arm and fixing the position of the cam.

The actuating means for throwing the switch is mounted upon the platformot' the car in convenient position to be operated by the foot, either ofthe conductor or the per- Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Bec. 21, 1999.

Serial No. 469,957.

son operating the car. It is to be understood that each end ot the carmay be similarly equipped with actuating means.

A frame 5 is pendent from the platform ot the car and is provided atopposite points with inwardly extended arms 6. l`rip bars 7 are mountedvertically in the upper and lower cross bars ot the frame 5 and arenormally held elevated by means of springs S. Each trip bar 7 isprovided with an offset or crank portion 9, which engages the inner endsof the arms 6, and which also spans the draw bar to provide clearancetherefor. The lower ends of the trip bars 7 are trans versely spaced andare adapted to be projected into the path ot the cam 1. Upon depressingone ot' the trip bars 7 it will engage with the cam 1 and throw theswitch in one direction. Upon depressing the other trip bar 7 it willengage with the opposite side of the cani 1 and throw the switch in theopposite direction. Vhen pressure is released rom the trip bars 7 theyare moved upward out of the way by the action of the springs 8, thelatter being mounted upon the lower portions of the trip barsandcontined between the lower cross bar of the trame 5 and the lowerarms of the crank or offset portions 9 of said trip bars.

' The cam 1tL shown in Fig. G is pivoted near one end as indicated at 10to a tie of the track and its pivot end is connected to the switch point11 by means of arm 3 and brace 4. Grooves or channels 12 are providedalong opposite edges of the cam and tlare at their forward ends, asindicated at 13, so as to direct the respective trip arms into thegrooves when throwing the switch. The grooves or channels 12 divergerearwardly and since the trip arms travel in straight lines it isapparent that the cam is turned upon its pivot 10 in one direction orthe other according to the trip bar depressed to enter one or the otherof the grooves 12, thereby throwing the switch in the requireddirection.

The trip bars 7 are provided at their lower ends with rollers 14, so asto minimize the friction and resistance when said trip bars aredepressed to enter one or the other ot the grooves 12. A housing 15 isarranged over the upper ends of the trip bars, so as to protect the samewhen not required for immediate service.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. In combination with a railway switch and a cam connected with themovable part of the switch, a frame secured to the car and havingoppositely spaced openings formed therein, transversely spaced trip barsmounted for vertical movement in said openings and provided with off-setportions spanning the draw bar, and springs surrounding the trip barsand bearing against the frame and olf-set portion of said trip bars forexerting an upward pressure thereon to normally hold the trip bars outof action.

2. In combination with a railway switch and a cam connected with themovable part thereof, a frame attached to the platform of the car andcomprising upper and lower members, and arms extended inward from theend portions of said frame, trip bars mounted to move vertically in saidframe and transversely spaced, each embodying a crank or offset portionin its length7 said ofl'standing portions engaging the arms projectedinward from the frame and spanning the draw bar, and springs mountedupon the lower portion of the trip bars and confined between the lowercross bars of the frameand the opposite portions of said trip bars. Intestimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES IV. THOMPSON.

Witnesses GUY I). Srnns, J. C. THEUS.

